While Air Force F-35A and Navy F-35C fighters by Lockheed Martin [LMT] were in the U.S. strike package against Venezuela on Jan. 3, a Pentagon Inspector General (IG) report last month highlighted continuing readiness shortfalls for the aircraft. The F-35 is the U.S. military's costliest acquisition program--more than $2 trillion over the fighter's life, of which $442 billion is for acquisition and $1.58 trillion is for sustainment. The average availability "for all military service F-35 aircraft in FY 2024 was…
